The present invention relates to arming devices and, more particularly, to a new and improved arming device characterized by simplicity, low cost of manufacture and high reliability.
When a munition is released from a bomb rack or otherwise discharged, it remains in a "safe" condition in which it will not detonate unless a wire connecting it to the aircraft on which it was carried is held by a sufficient force to arm the munition. This arming wire is secured to the aircraft by an arming unit such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,200,707. The arming unit normally retains the wire by a spring biased detent that will release the wire in response to a force too low to arm the munition. When it is desired to release the munition in an armed condition, a solenoid in the arming unit is energized to prevent operation of the detent thereby restraining the wire and applying an arming force to the munition.
The arming unit is often subjected to high vertical shock loads which may cause it to malfunction. It is preferable, therefore, to orient the solenoid horizontally (perpendicular to the pull of the wire) as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,055. It has been found, however, that the use of a horizontal solenoid increases the number of components required and the complexity of the device. In addition, it results in an asymmetrical design in which the detent mechanism is offset from the member that interacts directly with the horizontal solenoid resulting in an increase in friction within the unit when a force is applied to the wire. Frictional forces increase the resistance to the release of the wire when the solenoid is not energized and could result in the mechanism becoming hung up in an energized position despite deenergization of the solenoid. Nevertheless, the offset had been found necessary to achieve a lightweight component structure.
One objective of the present invention is to provide an arming unit with a horizontal coil that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages previously associated with this type of construction. A further objective is to provide such a device that is simple, requires a minimum number of components, and is manufacturable at a low cost. Still another objective is to provide such a device that has a fast-acting solenoid and detent mechanism and leads itself to the provision of a rotatable detent mechanism for multi-directional operation.